I can see why blacksmiths enjoyed their jobs: you get to drink beer, get metal really hot, and hit it with a hammer until it’s shaped how they want it.
(off-stage whispering)
What’s that? They didn’t get to drink beer on the job? Oh, hell. There goes that career path.
In related news, last night consisted of drinking beer around a fire, making s’mores, fanning the coals with large pieces of cardboard, heating rebar until it was red hot, and then hitting it with a hammer until it was bent about 80 degrees. Hardly the best example of blacksmithing, but it was very fun nonetheless. I think that forge-building may be in my near future.
2 thoughts on “Amatuer Blacksmithing”
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I have a friend that is a custom knifesmith, although he has also done other blacksmithing projects. He’s a journeyman smith in the American Bladesmith Society. His forge is a propane gas forge made from a large oxygen bottle with some sort of coolant material applied to the interior.
There is also a book by knifesmith Wayne Goddard called “The $50 Knifeshop” that you can purchase, it will give a lot of good tips on how to set up an inexpensive forge:
http://www.krausebooks.com/product/719/7
My friend’s website can be found here:
http://www.scotiametalwork.com/
Good luck!
Well, dang. Can we drink beer on the job as lumberjacks? ‘Cuz that’s always been my fallback plan after being a smithy.